Exhibitor Previews Offer Tidbits and Bytes

DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY—This will be the ink-jet Drupa. No, it will be the green Drupa. Or, maybe the print buyer Drupa. Actually, it will be big enough to be all three, and much more.

With more than 1,800 exhibitors occupying more than 1.8 million square feet of exhibit space in nearly 20 halls, putting a label on Drupa is one way to make it more digestible. Another is for visitors to develop a “must-see” list ahead of time. To that end, a number of briefings are being held in advance of the show to get the word out about what to look for from major exhibitors.

The preview tour’s first stop was the Drupa International Media Conference, conducted by Messe Düsseldorf, the show’s organizer, and AD Communications.

Albrecht Bolza-Schünemann, president of Drupa 2008 and CEO of Koenig & Bauer AG, greeted attendees with the message that “print is not at all dead” and the industry continues to develop new business models in response to the ongoing new media challenge. There has been cross-pollination between digital and offset, not cannibalization, he continued, adding that brand protection and anti-counterfeiting measures hold promise for print.

Werner Matthias Dornscheidt, president and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf, added that this event is to the graphic arts industry what the Olympic Games are to sports. He noted the above statistics and the special event offerings, such as the Drupa Innovation Parc technology forum, Compass Sessions educational program, Highlights Tours and drupacube print buyers program (which have already been covered in past Drupa Countdown articles and on the PIWorld.com Website).

Dornscheidt said regional offices are available around the global, including one in Chicago, to assist interested printers with making arrangements to attend the show, which will run May 29 to June 11. He also recommended using the event’s Website (www.drupa.com) to buy admission tickets at a reduced price and to get the latest program updates.